The Norse goddess Freya, and her amazingly obedient cats, storm out of Le Grand Mint’s latest silver coin

With Norse mythology being so rich in imagery and lore, we’re always excited to see what coin designers produce to bring them to life. Given how popular this pantheon has been over the last fifteen years, we guess most collectors are, it’s always on our radar, so when an inventive producer like Le Grand Mint releases a new coin, we obviously take an interest.

The chosen subject is one of the best in the Norse lore, Freya, the Norse goddess, associated with love, sex, gold, war and death. She rides a chariot pulled by two cats (yeah, right…), and is said to receive half the battlefield dead, who go to her field, Fólkvangr (the other half go to Valhalla). Freyja was married to the god Óðr, who was often away, and as a result, she was said to cry tears of red gold for him. Her cats are called Bygul and Trjegul (although various tellings do vary), gifts from Thor, and cats were held in very high regard in Norse culture, for their ability to protect grain stores, and were believed to possess magical powers, much like the Egyptians thought.

The coin depicts the magical moggies pulling Freya’s chariot across the night sky, exploding out of the coin face. Freya is attired as a Valkyrie, with a winged helmet, shield, and armour, while holding her spear and sword. The chariot is richly decorated with that distinctive Viking patterning. Little artistic flourishes abound, like the harnesses and collars on the cats, a raven (perhaps one of Odin’s), and an attractive decorative border. Only the chariot wheel angle disappoints, and I’m being really picky here. The obverse is beautiful, filled with the nature the Vikings respected so much, with a pair of butterflies drawing the eye. The shield of Equatorial Guinea, with its distinctive silk cotton tree, sits in the centre.

This is a high-relief strike in two-ounces of 0.9999 silver, and it’s available in a choice of three finishes, with a combined mintage of 555 pieces. The most striking for most will be the dark ruthenium plated coin with the gilded highlights. There will be 222 of these, and there will be 222 for the fully gilded, and antique variant, probably my favourite. The third, is a straight proof strike, and that tops out at just 111 units. A quite beautiful issue, and AgAuNEWS cat, Cossack, approves… Available to order now.